A Moment of Perfection
by Ponderosa
Summary: 1+2. (Complete) Shounen ai. Heero POV. Post Endless Waltz. No longer needed by Relena, Heero searches for something to do with his life and someone to share it with. (Optional Lemon posted separately.)
1. I know your kind, I know your score

Title: A Moment of Perfection   
Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)   
Pairing: 1+2 

Archive: Shinigami & Wing - http://www.1x2x1.org/fiction/ponderosa.htm   
Warning: [PG] Shounen ai. Sap. Heero POV.   
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Sunrise/Sotsu/Bandai. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
**A Moment of Perfection**   
by Ponderosa 

[Peacecraft Residence, Earth, AC 198] 

Two weeks ago, Relena confronted me and asked me if I loved her. 

I didn't know what to say, so I told her the truth. 

Secure in the knowledge that I cared for her, she'd smiled, but the gentle curve of her lips was bittersweet. It had been months since the violent storms of her youthful crush had calmed and I think she always knew that I didn't love her the same way she loved me. Even so, the truth is never an easy thing to deal with. 

"So this is where you snuck off to," said Relena. She stepped past the drapes and joined me on the balcony. 

"All the guests are gone," she said. She leaned her back against the rail on my right-hand side and repeatedly smoothed her full skirts. It was her eighteenth birthday and she was wearing a gown that made her look at least three years older. 

The night sky was free of clouds and the moon was bright enough that I could pick out individual stones in the garden path below, but there wasn't enough ambient light for me to tell the colour of Relena's dress. I had danced with her twice earlier in the evening and I should've been able to call it up from memory, but I couldn't, and it bothered me. 

When I forced myself to stop obsessing over such a small, insignificant detail, I became aware of her eyes on me and I knew that the moment was about to upgrade itself with a capital M. 

"You're not happy here," she said. 

The stars seemed to brighten and my ears tuned in involuntarily to the distant whisper of a broom being pushed across the dancefloor. Definitely a Moment, with a big fat capital M. 

"I'm happy knowing you're safe," I replied. 

"You don't have to stay here," Relena stated. 

I turned to look at her and she turned to look up into the sky. She rested her hands lightly on the railing. Her fingers seemed so thin and fragile, encased as they were, in a pair of tight satin gloves. 

"Being my shadow isn't much of a life," she said. Her fingers tightened on the rail. 

I didn't know what to say. A big part of me was afraid to leave. The rest of me didn't want to. I liked knowing that someone needed me. That was the kicker though; Relena really didn't need me anymore. 

"Look! A shooting star!" she pointed and together we watched as it blazed a path across the sky. 

"Did you make a wish, Heero?" 

I nodded. "Yes." 

"Me too." 

Duo taught me about that; making wishes on a falling star. It was at some forgettable school, not long after we first started working together. 

"I can't tell you what I wished for, of course," Relena said softly, "but, if it's to come true, then I should say goodbye now." 

She kissed me; rising up on her toes to press her lips against my cheek in a chaste kiss that lingered too long to be considered a peck, but was too swift to make me feel uncomfortable. She whispered goodbye as she settled back down and left in a swirl of silk and lace before I had the chance to say the same. 

She probably preferred it that way. It gave her a feeling of letting go instead of being let go of. 

I left that night and I never did say a formal goodbye. 

I did send her a new teddybear though; impulsively bought at the spaceport giftshop only minutes after my transport had landed. I bought a card there too, a cheesy postcard that read: 'You haven't lived until you've visited L1!' I wrote 'mission accepted' on the back and sent it along with the bear. 

Looking back, I can't help but think that Duo would've better appreciated my little attempt at humor.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


I enrolled in school again for a while, then bounced from job to job, trying to find an occupation that didn't render me bored, irritable, angry, exhausted or any combination thereof. 

In other words, I did little but wander around for two years, never settling anywhere for much more than a few months. I sent a lot of postcards during that time and did my best to reassure the people who cared about me that I was still breathing. I could've sent email if I had kept my laptop with me, but it had been part of the problem. I hid behind that half-inch screen for a quarter of my life. 

Sally and Wufei tracked me down at one point and offered me a job with the Preventers. Maybe they thought my self-imposed exile meant that I was depressed or had fallen onto hard times. I had been tempted, and the offer still stands. Maybe one of these days I'll take them up on it. 

Initially, Trowa had been the hardest to keep in touch with; the circus moved around as often as I did. That problem solved itself when I was working as a demolitionist for a construction company. Rasid had come to inspect a site where the Winner Corporation was planning to erect a new building and spotted me coming back from setting charges. We talked for a while and during the course of the conversation, he told me that even if current circumstances kept them apart, Quatre and Trowa managed to arrange their schedules to see each other regularly. From then on, I started sending a single postcard to Quatre addressed to the both of them. 

Last but not least, there was Duo. 

He was in business with Hilde and was the easiest to send postcards to. His required no personal codes written on the edges to make sure the card would get through various levels of secretarial screening. 

I really didn't have an idea of what he was up to. Unlike the others, he was never in the news. There were times when I wanted to call and catch up, but I just wasn't ever quite prepared for it. I hope that he understood from my letters that although I appreciated how he had always tried to get me out of my shell, I wanted to break out of it entirely on my own. 

Last winter, I met a girl on a small colony in L3 and it was there that I stayed in one spot for the longest during this pilgrimage of mine. In the evenings she taught me how to cook and at night she taught me how to make love. She had kicked me out of her bed and her apartment after three months. Standing on the sidewalk with my meagre belongings scattered around me like mobile suit debris after a battle, I had asked her why. She said that it wasn't fair to her. I was tearing her apart; she could tell that it wasn't her that I was in love with. 

It took me six months to realize what she'd meant and another four to get over feeling guilty about using her. 

And now? Now I found myself wandering through the exhibits of an art gallery; admiring the sometimes crude, and sometimes elegantly curving, welded metal sculptures. I had planned to attend the show's opening, but the timing hadn't been right. 

Of course, if I hadn't received an excuse by way of an invitation to Relena's twenty-first birthday party and coinciding engagement ball, I don't know if I would've ever thought the timing was right. 

'Sometimes, you gotta stop waiting for the perfect moment and just make the moment perfect,' Duo told me once. 

It was good advice, but it would have been more profound if, at the time, he hadn't been trying to give me tips on playing a video game. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


A week had gone by since I walked through the pristine white of the art galleryÕs halls. The air around me was cool without being cold and the trees had already begun to shed their crowns. The colony's winter cycle was fast approaching and I was wearing a brand new windbreaker; the material of it rustled at my elbows as I walked, but I could barely hear it over the sound of the wind through the branches above. 

"In the back," I'd been told and so to 'the back' I went, crunching my way through the fallen leaves. I could hear music that was cranked up too loud for my liking as I neared the door of an old gray warehouse. I stood there on the cracked asphalt for a few minutes, staring at the reflection of the clouds as they moved sluggishly across the windowpanes. I couldn't make out a single word of the song blasting from the inside of the building and it only got louder and more incoherent as I pulled open the heavy corrugated steel door. 

Completely absorbed in his work, he didn't even notice. He was crouched down about fifteen meters in front of me, at the base of a huge piece of cylindrical scrap half covered by a canvas tarp. He had on a pair of faded light blue overalls, the top unzipped and peeled down, with the arms tied around his waist. Sweat gleamed on his shoulders and darkened the thin white undershirt pulled tight across his back. Around him, sparks were flying everywhere and skittering across the concrete floor, some of them lasting long enough to reach my feet. 

"Duo!" I yelled, but the music drowned me out. I spotted the solution quickly enough. To my left, his stereo was perched on top of a pile of old mobile suit parts and junk. I don't bother looking for the off switch and just unplugged the thing from its extension cord. 

"You piece of crap! If I have to fix you one more time," Duo turned off the feed to his torch and stood slowly, pushing the faceplate of his welding mask up as he straightened, and wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. His braid dangled down his spine, only it was shorter than I remembered it being and ended just at the small of his back. 

"It's not broken, I just turned it off," I said. Even though I had spoken quietly, my words echoed and filled the space that had been so abruptly vacated by Duo's music. 

"Heero?!" Duo spun around and dropped his torch to rush over and give me a hug. 

"Duo!" I gasped out. He was very enthusiastic and his enthusiasm threatened to prevent me from ever breathing again. 

He pulled away almost reluctantly and stepped back; still keeping his hands on my shoulders as he surveyed me head to foot. I'd grown a fair amount, but so had he and somewhere along the way, he managed to gain several inches on me. Maybe it wasn't that his braid was shorter, maybe it was just that he had gotten so much taller. 

"Heero, you look great," he said. 

"You don't look so bad yourself," I replied and was rewarded by a dazzling smile. Had he always smiled like this? In such a way that his entire face positively glowed? 

"So what brings you here?" he asked, finally releasing my shoulders. He pulled his welding mask the rest of the way off and tossed it casually onto a nearby table. "Last I heard, you were at L1 again, working in spaceport security." 

"Relena's getting married," I said and he nodded. Of course he knew that, he would have received an invitation too. There was a hint of something in his expression that I couldn't quite pinpoint, sympathy maybe. 

"I didn't want to go back there alone. I need someone to stand around with so I'm not the only one refusing to dance," I added rather lamely. I couldn't say what I wanted to say, what I had come here to really say. 

Call it a fear of rejection or just plain idiocy, but I couldn't think of a single way to go about telling my best friend that I thought I might be in love with him. I wasn't really sure if I could even term him as my best friend, for all our former closeness, after Mariemaia we really hadn't talked more than a dozen times and had only seen each other over vidfeeds. And yet, just being in his presence felt comfortable and familiar like slipping into my favorite jacket. 

"This is perfect," he said and hooked his thumbs into the belt loops on his overalls. His fingers were dark with grease and dirt. It reminded me strongly of the way he used to look after a day of tinkering with this or that on Deathscythe. He even smelled the same."Perfect?" 

"Yeah, Hilde couldn't go and I sure as hell didn't want to face a crowd of boring aristocrats without backup," he grinned and nodded over his shoulder at where he'd been working when I first showed up. "Care to see what I'm mangling?" 

"I saw your exhibit," I admitted as he led me over to stand at the base of a huge twenty-foot sculpture. 

"Like it?" he asked. He pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped metal dust off the small plaque at the bottom of what I recognized as the maintenance access panel of an old mobile suit's forearm. 

"Some of it," I replied. I'd considered saying a simple yes, but Duo was always truthful to me; it was only fair to return the favor. "This a new piece? It's huge." 

"This one's a little different," he said and pointed to the plaque. //In memorandum of the pilot.  
Death took him before his time.  
May his sacrifice and the sacrifice of others  
Be remembered with honor in this era of Peace.// 

"Relena commissioned this,' Duo said quietly and rested a hand on the smooth metal. "It's to be a peace memorial." 

I reached out my own hand and ran my knuckles along the smoothed edge of the open panel. I could see that the entire thing had been hollowed out. 

"Showed up in the yard one day. Thing was cut in two, right through the cockpit," his voice trailed off. I understood what he meant, just as I had understood the inscription on the plaque. He cleared his throat and smiled over at me, "I disconnected the arm and as you've probably noticed, removed all the mechanics. 

"You can even walk inside it," he said, stepping into the arm. I followed him inside. I was struck with the compulsion to hunch over, even though the curving 'ceiling' of the structure was a good half meter above my head. 

"Took me a long time to do, but I managed to smooth the interior," Duo raised his arms up and traced the puckering scar of a welded seam. I follow the line of his arm, distracted for a moment by the muscles that shifted beneath the amber of his tan. I could pick out tiny white lines scarring the flesh of his forearm beneath the short bristling hairs and a trailing line of tattooed ink that peeked out from beneath the rolled sleeve of his shirt. 

He then proceeded to show me how he had lined and polished the vents and the empty sockets where hydraulic and weapons systems used to be installed. They acted like little skylights and Duo ended up standing directly beneath one. As he was illuminated by a hazy column, I wanted to tell him he looks like the statue of a saint ...beautiful ...radiant... The words almost rolled off my tongue, but I came to my senses when he moved in deeper, and beckoned for me to look. 

"I also opened each fingertip," he explained and squatted down as the interior of the metal arm narrowed towards the wrist. It was darker in that section, the vents above were blocked by the tarp on the outside. "You can't see it really well from here, but the fingers are spread and point downwards like slides. When this baby is out on display, kids are gonna have a blast playing in it." 

I smiled. I was proud of Duo, so much so that my chest felt tight and the corners of my eyes burned. I took a deep breath and managed a word, "Amazing." 

I was only partially referring to the sculpture. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


Duo insisted that I stay with him and there wasn't anything I could say to get out of it. Not that I wanted to. We walked the block and a half to the machine shop he lived above. As he unlocked the door and gallantly held it open with a mock bow, he explained how he didn't even have to pay rent for the place since he gave them a discount on choice parts from his and Hilde's salvage yard. 

The place was larger than it had looked on the outside and was fairly neat except for the occasional castoff bits of clothing that Duo picked up as he gave me a tour. 

"I made most of this stuff," he said, kicking the wrought iron leg of his coffee table as he tossed his keys on its glass surface. 

"Very stylish," I said and Duo chuckled as he led me up a spiraling set of stairs to a small loft. 

"Where the magic happens," he said and spread his arms wide to proudly display his bed. It was covered in a huge downy white comforter in stark contrast to the four twisting posters of blackened steel rebar that rose towards the ceiling like the tentacles of some monstrous creature. "Made this old thing too. Extra sturdy! 

"Wanna test it out?" he asked with a fiendish grin. 

Before I could respond, Duo grabbed my waist and spun me around, effectively throwing us both onto his bed. 

We rolled over a few times and Duo ended up on his hands and knees straddling one of my legs and hovering above me. He was grinning like a madman and bounced a few times. I couldn't breathe. Hell, I could barely think, all the blood had rushed from my brain to somewhere far south. 

"What'd I tell ya?" he said, bouncing one more time before standing up and offering me his hand. I pushed myself up on one elbow and waited a moment until I was certain I wouldn't faint before putting my hand in his and letting him haul me to my feet. "Anyway, bathroom's up here," he swung around one of the posters and indicated a small door with a nod of his head. "I'd leave a light on, but you don't need one right?" 

"Right," I said. I had already memorized the layout of the place. 

The tour ended in his small kitchen area and my stomach reminded me I hadn't eaten all day. 

"I'll make dinner," I offered and Duo gave me a look that said, 'I still remember the time you tried making mashed potatoes and realized they were too firm...then put them back, half mashed, into the boiling water to cook more.' 

"Uh. You sure you don't want to eat out?" 

"I'm sure," I said and let a smile play at the corners of my mouth. 

"Oooookkkaay," he said as he reached behind his back and worked the elastic off the end of his braid. "Well, I'm going to take a shower. Promise me you won't burn the place down." 

"I promise." 

Duo didn't look too convinced, but left me to my own devices. I began by checking all the cabinets and drawers to learn where everything was, then pulled open the door to his refrigerator. I was surprised. I had expected to see bare shelves with the odd jar or ramen package, but both his fridge and cabinets were well stocked. I wondered if Hilde bought his groceries. 

Vapor escaped from the fridge and curled around my legs as I mentally ran through a checklist of the things I knew how to cook and compared that to the inventory of Duo's kitchen. 

'Something simple,' I thought and considered the bowl of tomatoes sitting on the edge of the narrow, stainless steel counter. 

By the time I had fresh sauce bubbling on the stove and a bowl of fettuccini straining in the sink, Duo was approaching the kitchen warily. 

"You know, Heero, that almost smells good. What's wrong with this picture," he said cheekily, squeezing past a pair of chairs I had moved to give myself more breathing room. 

I ignored him and stirred the sauce. He hovered over my shoulder as I scooped a bit on the spoon and blew on it to cool it. I tasted it carefully so as to not burn my tongue and found it satisfactory. Turning off the burner, I twisted around and offered the spoon for him to taste. 

Duo leaned in and kept his eyes on mine as he sucked sauce off the edge of the spoon. My knees went weak and my hand twitched violently, leaving him with a line of red curving up his cheek. My mouth salivated with the thought of licking it clean, but he was already laughing and wiping it away. 

"Did you make that?" he asked. 

"Yes, and you missed a spot," I said, reaching out and scooping the glob of sauce off his face with my finger. I held my hand up as I craned my neck around, looking for the dishtowel I had been using just a moment ago. 

Something warm and wet enveloped my finger and I jerked my hand away reflexively. Duo laughed throatily, licked his lips and apologized with a shrug. 

I asked him to get out a pair of plates as I turned back to the stove and willed away the warmth spreading on my cheeks and in my groin. 

Hours later, as we sat on the floor in front of his TV drinking cheap beer and trying to fill one another in on what we'd been doing the past three years, I began to wonder if my finger would ever stop tingling.   
  


* * *

TBC! 


	2. One foot in sea and one on shore

Title: A Moment of Perfection   
Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)   
Pairing: 1+2 

Archive: Shinigami & Wing - http://www.1x2x1.org/fiction/ponderosa.htm   
Warning: [PG] Shounen ai. Sap. Heero POV.   
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Sunrise/Sotsu/Bandai. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
**A Moment of Perfection**   
by Ponderosa 

The following morning, Duo put me in charge of organizing our trip to Earth. It didn't take much preparation. I RSVP'd, bought us transport tickets, and made arrangements to see a tailor in the time it took for him to cook breakfast. 

"Done already?" Duo arched an eyebrow and scraped equal amounts of scrambled eggs onto a pair of light blue plates. One of them had a tiny chip along the edge and they were of slightly different hue that told me he'd probably bought them on separate occasions. 

"Basically. Do you have any suggestions for a gift?" 

"Ask Hilde," he said. "She's good at that sort of thing." 

Hilde. Before Mariemaia, when Duo and I had shared an apartment briefly, I'd met her several times and she stayed with us for two weeks on a holiday; even so, she and I had hardly ever spoken. 

"Want salsa for your eggs?" Duo craned his neck over his shoulder. 

I shook my head. "No thanks." 

He dropped a plate full of eggs and potatoes in front of me and I returned the smile that my breakfast beamed up at me. 

I stabbed my fork at the bare spot in the center of the plate and asked, "Where's the nose?" 

"Sorry, nose not included." 

"I'm terribly disappointed." 

Duo chuckled and pulled a carton of juice out of the fridge. I heard it slosh as he set it down on the counter, then he leaned over my shoulder and grabbed the fork out of my hand. 

"Can't have my guest disappointed," he said. The warm rush of his breath near my cheek smelled like toothpaste and he reached around me with his free hand to twist my plate around. 

I had the urge to turn my head and kiss his neck, but he was already standing up again. I mourned the loss of his closeness while I celebrated the facelift my breakfast had obtained at his hands. 

After we had eaten, Duo walked with me to the yard and Hilde met us halfway through the scrap that rose like metal dunes on either side of the driveway. She was waving a few pieces of paper in her hand and looked upset. 

"Duo! Mr. Sherwood is threatening to cancel his contract!" she exclaimed, then glanced at me quickly and her face crinkled into a cute smile. "Oh, hi Heero. Long time no see." 

"What's the problem?" Duo asked. 

Hilde's expression went serious again. "His last two orders got lost somehow and if he hadn't called, this latest one would've also. I just don't know what to do." She puffed out her cheeks and blew a burst of air upwards. 

Duo gave me a calculating look. I knew what was churning behind his eyes and I offered to take a look at their filing system before he had to ask. 

His face split into a broad smile and he threw an arm around my neck, "Great! You can ask Hilde about gifts while you're at it." 

"For Relena?" Hilde asked. 

"Yes." 

"I know just the thing! Come on," she smiled and dragged me towards the office. 

"See ya tonight," Duo called out and I looked over my shoulder just in time to catch his thumbs up.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


Fixing the Scrapyard's filing system took longer than it should have. I ended up working on it well into the afternoon. The entire network was rather shoddily set up and I knew for a fact that Duo could program well enough to make something that ran more effectively. 

"Oh you know Duo," Hilde said with a soft bubbling laugh. "He has more fun digging through the scrap than selling it." 

"What about you?" I asked. A girl who had enough skill to lift the technical readouts for the Libra could probably do better than the half-assed job I was busy fixing. 

Hilde didn't answer immediately and I pinched the set of wires I was untangling to look over at her. 

"Hilde?" 

"Oh sorry," she smiled at me. It looked forced and I wondered if I should press the matter. 

"Do you enjoy working here, selling scrap?" I asked. That hadn't been my original question, but it was likely that was she thought I'd meant. 

"In all honesty?" 

I nodded and her eyes flickered to the door momentarily as if she expected someone to burst in and hear her confession. 

"I hate it," said Hilde. "I really, really hate it." 

"Then why are you still here?" I returned to my task, so as not to make her uncomfortable by staring at her. 

"I was part of this from the beginning," she said slowly. "I wanted to help Duo... Actually, as long as I'm being truthful, I was head over heels in love with the goofball when I agreed to help him set this place up." 

Hilde tossed her pen into the cup on her desk and leaned back in her chair. "It's a little embarrassing to think about how I used to hang around waiting for him to notice me, when the whole time he was in love with you." 

I dropped the wires I'd just sorted out. 

"Oh God. You knew didn't you? I didn't just out Duo in the worst possible way, did I?" 

"You didn't. I knew," I half lied and picked up the wiring again. 

I knew he liked men. I had found out fairly early on during the time when we were living together. The spaceport was shut down for security reasons and I had returned home instead of sleeping there to catch a flight the next day. I stepped out of the elevator and found Duo getting hot and heavy with another guy in the hallway. I had been too irritated with my experience at the spaceport to spare the energy to feel shocked. 

He had practically jumped out of his own skin when I cleared my throat and asked if they were planning to go inside anytime soon, or if I should just squeeze past them and leave them in the hall. He'd stammered that they'd been planning to go in and I asked for an introduction, same as I did when he brought a girl home. After that, there were a few other guys sprinkled in with the wide range of girls that paraded in and out of his life. 

However, getting back to the situation at hand, what I hadn't known was that Duo had ever been in love with me. 

He'd made a few overtures, but at the time, I hadn't paid any attention to the sexual side of a body that I never felt comfortable in and his flirting always came with a bit of teasing. I suppose, the humor helped soften the inevitable rejection on my part. 

Hilde had gone back to explaining to me why she was still here and as far as I could tell, it was simply because she felt she couldn't leave. 

I finished sorting the wires again and plugged them in before I swiveled around and focused on Hilde. "Duo would understand if you tell him you want to move on to other things." 

"I can't tell him, not when he needs me this badly." 

"A rat will be able to operate the system by the time I'm done setting it up," I said. 

"It's not the system that's the real problem," Hilde sighed wearily and ran a hand through her closely cropped hair. "Before the war was over, Duo would just blow up a few suits, tow the scrap back and we'd sell it. Then, when we started this place up again, there was still a good amount of debris in the surrounding space. By now, most of that's been picked clean and the larger companies have bought salvage rights to any large pockets left." 

"What about Duo's art? He had a gallery showing, doesn't that bring any money in?" 

"He's only being doing it for a short while. Maybe with the 'Vice Foreign Minister' commissioning that monster he's working on, interest will pick up, but that still doesn't solve our problem here; besides, it just wouldn't be fair for him to need to pump all his personal earnings in this place to keep it afloat." Hilde trailed off for a moment. "If only he'd stop refusing to trade off his notoriety and just publicize that he's a former pilot." 

All of us weren't particularly proud of what we did as pilots. There was as much, if not more, pain as there was pride in our pasts. Out of all of us though, Duo seemed the most adamant about not taking favours, even going so far as to actually wade through the significant paperwork needed to secure a salvage permit around one of the Winner owned satellites instead of just calling up Quatre. I suspected that accepting a commission from Relena was perilously close to the edge of his ethical boundaries. It was odd how those boundaries shifted, given that I'd seen him steal everything from apples to cargo ships. There was little use in my trying to puzzle that out; Duo was an odd bundle of contradictions. One simply learned to accept it. 

"Almost done?" Hilde came over and hovered near my elbow. I glanced at my chrono; it was later than I thought. 

"I can finish after I get back from the tailor's tomorrow." 

"Want me to drive you? We can go shopping for Relena and get that taken care of too." 

"I'd like that."   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


The following evening, I discovered that Duo hadn't lost the habit of leaning against my shoulder when we sat and watched TV. Only now, I noticed every rustle of his shirt or warm surge of breath on my arm. 

"Your shoulder is all sharp edges," Duo complained and shifted for the fifth time in two minutes. 

"I guess you need to start feeding me more to fatten me up so my shoulder is more comfortable for you," I said and jostled my shoulder. 

"Hah! You eat more than I do!" he exclaimed and dug his fingers into my side to tickle me. It took everything I had to keep from bursting out laughing. He didn't give up until I squirmed. 

"Find a pillow," I said. When he didn't move, I grabbed one from the far side of couch and whapped him with it. 

Duo did a slow motion melodramatic fall backwards, then hugged it to his chest before twisting around to lay his head in my lap. He looked up at me through his mass of chestnut bangs and said with a hint of insolence, "Found a better one." 

The rest of the week went fairly quickly. I spent my time trying to make myself useful. After I helped Hilde reorganize the file network, I decided to stick around with her in the office during the mornings. We brainstormed about possible solutions to their financial problems and got to know her a bit better. Duo had often talked about her and made me almost feel as if she had been a friend of mine, but now I could happily label her that in all certainty. 

In the afternoons, I helped Duo put the final touches on his hollowed out Leo memorial. It was delicious torture. When I was with him, there were moments where he set my skin on fire with an accidental touch or made me feel dizzy just by looking at me. Then there were the moments when he stood a certain way, or said something that made me want to grab him then and there and seal his mouth with mine. 

Knowing that he had been in love with me at some point gave me a skewed perspective on everything. I wasn't sure if he was sending signals and trying to hint that he hadn't given up on me after all this time, or if he'd past that point and thought of me as nothing but a friend. He flirted with Hilde the same way he flirted with me and from both of their individual statements on their relationship, there was no seriousness behind it. 

That they each felt the need to make sure I knew they were only friends could've been telling me something; but, until I sprouted a romantic backbone and was able to outright ask Duo, I decided to happily endure each little engagement that was just as unexpected, just as thrilling, and just as bewildering as the one before it.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


When we were getting ready to leave for the spaceport, Duo was eyeing me as he trotted down the stairs behind me. He carried my bag along with his own as I had the task of safeguarding Relena's present. 

"You alright?" he asked. 

"Just a little tired," I said and yawned right on cue. My makeshift bed on the couch was comfortable enough, but taking into consideration the longhaired devil in the loft directly above me who insisted on trying to keep me up as late as possible, by laying there telling little jokes and stories to see how long it took before I broke down and laughed, I got very little rest each night. 

"Going to sleep during the flight?" he asked, slinging his bag into the back of his convertible and dropping into the driver's seat. 

"Probably." 

"Guess I should've brought something to read," he said and tapped a beat along the top of the windshield while I attempted to find a safe spot for Relena's gift. 

"You could always see if they'll let you pilot the thing," I said and chuckled at the grin that crept across his face. I gave up trying to find a spot for the gift and got into the passenger seat, wedging it firmly between my feet. 

"Think they'd let me fly?" he asked as we tore down the street at three times the posted limit. 

"I hope not," I said. 

"Hey! I haven't gotten rusty," he replied, sticking out his lower lip in a mock pout. 

"Exactly," I said, and leaned my head back. I made myself comfortable in the low bucket seat and stretched out as much as I could. I let my left hand rest on the shoulder of Duo's seat and playfully tugged a stray wisp of his hair. "If you were flying, we'd get there so fast I wouldn't get a proper nap." 

Duo laughed and floored it. 

I smiled and closed my eyes as the wind tore at my hair. His braid eventually wormed its way free from where it had been pinned and trailed behind like a living thing. I let go of Duo's seat and wrapped my hand around where it began at the base of his neck. I slid my hand down its length and pulled it back into the front of the car. I didn't let go, if I had, I told myself, it would've whipped back again. Secure in my excuse, I twisted the end around my fist and eventually found myself systematically brushing my thumb across its feathery tip. 

After a few minutes, Duo looked over at me, but my eyes were more than half closed. I think he assumed I'd fallen asleep. He looked oddly serious and stared at me for a few seconds until the road claimed his attention again. 

I couldn't decide if I wanted to know what he was thinking and I couldn't quash the fluttery feeling of hope and nervousness that staked a claim in my chest.   
  


* * *

TBC! 


	3. I see you now, I feel you now

Title: A Moment of Perfection   
Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)   
Pairing: 1+2 

Archive: Shinigami & Wing - http://www.1x2x1.org/fiction/ponderosa.htm   
Warning: [PG] Shounen ai. Sap. Heero POV.   
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Sunrise/Sotsu/Bandai. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me. 

Notes: You may all thank Chrissy Sky *hug* for kicking me in the butt and making me take a break from work to get the last chapter posted ^_^   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
**A Moment of Perfection**   
by Ponderosa 

Our transport was ready for docking a full twenty minutes early. To my surprise, after charming a stewardess into taking him for a tour the cockpit, the pilots had actually allowed Duo to take the controls. 

"Have fun?" I asked as he came swaggering back down the aisle. 

"Yeah, but they wouldn't let me take her down," he said and picked up my wrist off the armrest. He flipped my hand over and put something shiny in my palm. 

"Landing never was your forte," I replied. Duo gave me a dirty look and snatched back the little bit of metal before I had a chance to look at it. 

"Just for that, you're not getting this," he made a fist around the thing and peered at me slyly. I knew he was waiting for me to ask what it was and make a deal to get it back. 

"Not getting what?" I couldn't disappoint. 

"This," he replied, still hiding it from view. He leaned halfway into my seat with a huge grin and waggled his clutched fist just below my chin. "What'll you do to get it back?" 

'Kiss that grin off your face,' I thought. 

"I don't know," I said. "Give you my bag of peanuts?" 

"Nah...I need something better than that...I know!" he grinned wider still and his eyebrows lowered ominously. "I'll give it to you, if you promise to dance at the ball." 

I pressed my lips together and looked at his fist thoughtfully. I considered his proposal while trying to figure out what the little bit of metal could possibly be. He knew full well how much I hated dancing... 

"Five seconds to decide," he said and shook his hand again. 

"Stipulation," I said. "Firstly, I must be asked to dance." Duo grinned at that. We'd spent hours declining dances at these sorts of affairs in the celebratory days after the end of the wars. I kept my face carefully neutral as I relayed my second condition. 

"I can agree to that," he said after some deliberation that consisted of narrowing his eyes and looking at me suspiciously. 

I was pleased that he agreed. If such a seemingly innocent condition would lower my chances of actually having to dance, I wasn't going to let the opportunity go to waste. 

"Guess I'll be basking in the glow of the famous Glare all night," Duo said wryly and opened his fist. 

I took my prize and smiled as I flipped it around in my fingers. 

"Gonna wear it?" he asked and added conspiratorially, "I filched it straight off the co-pilot's collar." 

I chuckled and pinned the tiny silver wings next to my shirt pocket. Duo slanted a grin and nestled back into his seat as the warning lights blinked on and the ship began its descent into atmosphere. 

As we were exiting the front of the spaceport, I pulled on my jacket and my hand brushed the pin. I let my knuckles rest on it a moment. It was fastened directly above my heart. 

'Sometimes, you gotta stop waiting for the perfect moment...' 

"Duo?" I said, catching hold of his sleeve. He whirled to look at me and nearly fell off the curb. I tightened my grip and pulled him back on the sidewalk. 

"Whoa! Thanks buddy," he arched an eyebrow and waited for me to speak. When I just stood there frozen, he clapped a hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes with concern. "Heero?" 

Words failed me and I had no backup plan. I used the first excuse that sprang to mind, "Duo, lets get something to eat." 

"You're positive you're feeling alright?" 

"I'm fine. Didn't sleep much on the flight and I just need a little food in me," I assured him. 

"If you say so."   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
I couldn't get up the nerve while we ate, or during the cab ride to Relena's estates, and when we arrived, there wasn't time. We were assigned quarters and ushered off to get settled in and ready for the evening banquet. 

I looked at my reflection in the wardrobe mirror, and for the fifth time, pulled loose the bow at my throat and worked at retying the damn thing. There was a knock and I undid my sixth attempt as I strode across the room and pulled open the door. 

"Duo," I tried to hide my surprise. 

"Expecting someone else?" he asked, with a tilt of his head and a crooked smile. 

"I wasn't expecting anyone," I admitted and stepped aside. Duo closed the door behind himself and watched as I resumed my task in front of the mirror. His presence was only making it harder for me to concentrate. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, he was dressed in a dark blue suit with a faint metallic sheen to it; the cuffs of the jacket were folded back casually, yet somehow he still managed to appear suitably formal. It was uniquely Duo and I couldn't think of a single other person who could pull off the same look half as well. 

"Thought I'd come and see what was taking you so long," he chuckled as I undid yet another attempt at tying a bow. "Here, let me." My eyes followed his reflection as he moved to stand behind me. 

"Arms down." 

I let my hands drop to my sides and Duo wrapped his arms around me. I had to suppress a shiver, and prayed that I wouldn't embarrass myself by getting aroused. Duo took each trailing end of the black fabric and swiftly tied a neat bow at my throat. 

"Thanks," I choked out. 

"Too tight?" he slid a few fingers under the bow to test. I was certain he could feel the wild beat of my pulse. 

"No, it's just right." 

Duo rested his chin on my shoulder and stared at us in the mirror. His fingers were still curled at the base of my throat. Time seemed to stretch and I raised my hand to place it over his and finally say what I'd been skirting around for a week. His grayish purple eyes widened and I felt his entire body stiffen. 

"We're gonna be late," he stammered and pulled away. My stomach felt cold and I wanted to disappear into the carpet. 

I set my jaw and nodded. Duo picked my jacket up off the bed and tossed it to me. I pulled it on and ran a hand through my hair. Bitterness and disappointment carefully hidden away behind a neutral facade, I followed Duo out into the hall.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
As we came around the corner, a slim figure in white silk spotted us and waved hello. 

"Hey, where's the clown?" Duo asked, pulling Quatre into a hug before pointedly looking around. 

"He's downstairs already," Quatre replied with a soft laugh, then glanced over at me. I narrowed my eyes, I knew he could sense the edge of what I was feeling, but now was not the time. 

"Shall we?" I said smoothly. 

Duo grinned and started briskly down the stairs, I half expected him to take them two at a time or slide down the rail. Quatre descended in step with me and I could tell he wanted to say something. 

"Not now," I said. 

"You're hurt," he said quietly, laying a hand on my shoulder. 

"Not now, Quatre," I repeated firmly and he removed his hand. 

"Heero!" Relena called to me from the bottom of the steps. Duo was nowhere in sight. I felt a twinge of disappointment by his abandonment and I heard Quatre suck in a quick breath. 

"You look beautiful, Relena," I said as I took her hand and kissed it. Quatre smiled politely at her, then engaged in easy conversation with the man standing at her side. 

"Thank you, Heero," she beamed and caught the eye of the man I supposed was her fiance. He and Quatre made a promise to speak again later and then he divested his full attention to me. "Gerald, this is Heero." 

"A pleasure. I've heard a good deal about you," the man said warmly and shook my hand. There was no hint of animosity or awkwardness in the gesture, he seemed genuinely pleased to meet me. It spoke volumes about his character. "I'd like to offer you a place at our table, I believe Lady Relena would like you there, but thought I might be offended if she tendered the invitation herself." 

"I'd be honored." I was, very. 

"Splendid. Well then, I believe everything is just about ready. Let's take our seats," Gerald offered his arm and Relena rested her hand delicately in the crook of his elbow. 

The banquet went quickly and I survived with a minimum of conversation. Afterwards, I retreated to the balcony to avoid the crowd that milled around and made small talk as they waited for the ball to begin. 

I heard footsteps approaching and knew who it was immediately. 

"Relena." 

"Deja vu," she said and came to stand next to me. 

"Hn." 

"Did your wish come true, Heero?" 

"In a manner of speaking. Yours?" 

Quatre and Relena's fiance appeared and cut off whatever she had been about to say. The four of us spoke for a short while, more them than I. I had little to offer to the conversation, as I had no real interest in politics. 

"Darling, we've the first dance," Gerald prompted as the sounds of the orchestra warming up reached our ears. She was smiling as he led her away. 

"He's a good man," Quatre said quietly. "They love each other very much." 

I nodded and stared up at the sky again. 

"You still love her," he said more than asked. 

"Of course." I wondered what he was getting at. 

"Can you be happy for her?" 

I looked over at him sharply, "I'm very happy for her." 

Quatre furrowed his brow and searched my eyes. I didn't want him prying into my feelings. 

"Then wh-" 

"Heero! You can't cheat by hiding all night!" Duo strode through the open the glass doors and flashed a grin at Quatre before grabbing my arm. I jerked free of his grasp and stalked past him wordlessly. He had a hurt look on his face and I wanted to go back and apologize, but I didn't want to bare my soul to him in front of Quatre.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
"Look man, I'm sorry. Deal's off alright, you don't have to dance," Duo said hesitantly as he approached. 

"I keep my word," I said. 

"Yeah well, don't say I didn't offer," he grumbled and crossed his arms. 

I couldn't help it, the dark look melted off my face and I smiled. Just my luck too, a young woman spotted my smile and sidled up to invite me to dance. I glanced down quickly and was relieved to see that I didn't have to dance with her. I politely declined and she drifted away for easier prey. 

Like usual, Duo got most of the requests. After a buxom redhead approached him I noticed that there seemed to be a hint of regret in his refusal. I paid closer attention to the way he handled the next couple girls. 

"You know, I would've thought you'd be the type to like to dance," I remarked as soon as the latest petitioner was out of earshot. 

"Who said I don't like dancing?" Duo replied with a smirk. 

"You never danced," I said. 

"Not true." 

"Oh?" It wasn't that I thought he was lying. I had just never seen him dance at one of these sorts of affairs. 

"I never could leave you just standing around looking awkward," he explained with a low chuckle. 

"You mean to say y-" I was cut off as Quatre and Trowa whirled off the dancefloor and stopped in front of us. 

"Giving up already?" Quatre teased and his lover nodded. 

"In that case, mind if I take over?" Duo said, adjusting the knot of his thin tie and grinning. Duo had long since discarded his jacket and for some reason I was struck with the notion that if he ever got married, he'd look much the same, standing at the altar with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up and an easy smile on his face. 

Trowa looked surprised but relinquished his exuberant partner gracefully, or perhaps it was gratefully. 

On his way past me, Duo elbowed me and boasted, "Just watch me, I'm one helluva dancer." 

Duo led Quatre out onto the floor and pulled him close, taking the lead and twirling the slender blonde around expertly. I could see they were talking as they moved, but the constant shift of dancers prevented me from interpreting the words on their lips. Occasionally, Duo would throw his head back with a laugh and Quatre looked positively thrilled to have such a skilled and enthusiastic person to dance with. 

"Sometimes, he has more energy than Duo," Trowa said of his lover. 

I chuckled and for a time, we were like two old men, sitting on the sidelines and watching events swirl around us, while we traded stories of the war and how it coloured our lives now. 

I found myself a bit envious seeing the two of them dancing together and Trowa picked up on it. He always did have an unnerving way of reading me. 

"It's not Relena is it." 

"What do you mean?" I unbuttoned my coat and hung it on the back of a nearby chair. I tried acting casual, even though I was fairly certain that I knew what he meant and saw through my act. 

"Quatre said you were upset. He thought it was because of her engagement." 

I made a noncommittal noise and tucked my hands in my pockets. 

"Dance with me, handsome?" I turned to see a slim girl in a blue dress. I made my standard check and my standard refusal. 

When I turned back to Trowa, he raised an eyebrow and flicked his gaze to my shoes. 

"I made a deal with Duo," I explained. "I promised to dance with two conditions. I had to be asked and the asker couldn't be wearing open toed shoes." 

"Clever prerequisite," Trowa said slowly and we went back to watching Quatre and Duo on the dancefloor. 

I smirked and nursed a glass of champagne. The night was swiftly winding down and I knew there'd only be a few more songs. The smirk melted off my face when Trowa moved to stand in front of me. 

"Dance with me?" he said. 

I was shocked. 

"I believe the conditions of the deal are met," he nudged my foot with his. He took the glass from my numb fingers and set it aside, then held up his hand expectantly. 

"I hate you," I hissed and shoved my hand in his. 

He led me out onto the dancefloor with a slight smile. 

It took me a moment to get used to not leading, but I adjusted to the arrangement easily enough. I cursed inwardly because I knew precisely where Trowa was steadily maneuvering us toward. 

Duo stopped moving as soon as he saw us. Quatre looked around puzzled, then his mouth opened in a little 'o' of surprise as Trowa had the audacity to swing me around and dip me. 

"Oh that's rich. He's not wearing those damned shoes!" Duo crowed. 

Trowa nodded and then leaned in intimately. At first I had the absurd notion that he was going to kiss me, but he spoke in a low sober tone into my ear, "Take the opportunity. Be true to your emotions, right?" 

He released me and held out his arms to Quatre. Duo grinned and executed a graceful bow as Quatre left him to return to his lover, then he straightened up and looked at me expectantly. 

"Back to the wall, eh Heero?" 

I drew in a deep breath, looked at Duo, swallowed my fear and said, "Why, aren't you going to ask me to dance?" 

The cheerful look on his face disappeared and he drew his lower lip in, sucking on it a moment before his grin resurfaced. "Alright, but I get to lead," he said flippantly. He stepped in and when he took up my hand in his I thought I was going to self-destruct in a shower of sparks. We'd been in closer contact before, but there was something different about this; the feeling of having Duo so close; him in my arms as I was in his. 

We danced together for the next two songs, but much to my dismay, Relena claimed me near the end of the second. Open toed shoes or not, I couldn't refuse; this night belonged to her. 

She told me she'd heard that Duo had made a bet with me and she was here to rescue me. I don't think she quite comprehended when I told her that I wasn't dancing with him because of our deal. When the song ended not soon after, she glided off to find her fiance so they could share the last dance. 

When the strains of music started up again, I couldn't find Duo anywhere.   
  


* * *

TBC! 


	4. And I just want you more and more.

Title: A Moment of Perfection   
Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)   
Pairing: 1+2 

Archive: Shinigami & Wing - http://www.1x2x1.org/fiction/ponderosa.htm   
Warning: [PG] Shounen ai. Sap. Heero POV.   
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Sunrise/Sotsu/Bandai. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
**A Moment of Perfection**   
by Ponderosa 

None of the few remaining clumps of guests scattered around the ballroom held Duo in their midst and I'd already checked his room. Twice. 

My next stop was the kitchens. No luck there either. I was getting more than a little frustrated and my steps were rushed as I headed back towards the stairs leading to the wing where Duo was assigned a room. 

I didn't notice Wufei until he caught my arm and stopped me. His grip on my sleeve was tight, but I hardly felt the pressure of his fingers. He cocked his head and said sarcastically, "You're making security nervous." 

I looked Wufei directly in the eye, as I always did. "Duo, have you seen him?" 

He released his hold on my arm and toyed with the cuff of his shirt. "I heard he conned you into dancing with him," he said slowly. I ground my back teeth together. I wasn't in the mood for gossip or small talk; even if it came from Wufei, who hardly ever made the time for such things. 

"Do you know where he is?" I snapped. 

"Why are you looking for him?" Wufei asked. His tone was a little too casual and held more personal interest than I had ever known him to express. I stood up a little straighter at the unvoiced challenge, as I understood that Wufei knew precisely where Duo was and didn't want to tell me. He had a talent for being obstinate at the worst possible times. 

It was none of his business why I was looking for Duo and I told him that angrily. Wufei bristled and I resisted the urge to grab his shirt and shake the information from him. "Tell me where he is." 

"You want to know where Maxwell is, you let me know why you're looking for him," Wufei growled back at me. The fingers of his right hand had curled themselves into a fist and my own nails were soon biting into my palm. 

"Damnit, Chang. Where the hell is Duo." 

Wufei widened his stance slightly and he smirked before pressing his lips in a thin line. I felt the sickening rush of anger boiling in my chest and shifted my weight to match. 

"What the hell is your problem? Just tell me." If he refused again, I was going to enjoy pounding the information out of him. 

"If you think I'm going to tell you where he is, just so you can go and beat the crap out of him, you are sadly mistaken," he said grimly. 

My jaw went slack. Wufei was being a stubborn pigheaded ass because he was trying to protect Duo? From me? Incredulity at the situation was the only thing keeping me from bursting out laughing. 

"Wait," I said. I held up a hand and Wufei's expression turned from determination to puzzlement. "You think I'm looking for Duo because I'm mad at him?" 

"Why else would you be stalking around with that look on your face, Yuy?" Wufei asked. His posture lost some of its hostility, but he was far from being at ease. 

"For exactly the opposite of what you're thinking," I murmured and shook my head. 

"What does that mean?" Wufei crossed his arms. 

I finally broke eye contact and let my gaze drift towards the yawning archway that spanned the entrance to the ballroom. "You heard right, I did dance with Duo, but," I smiled and amusement crept into my voice, "I was hardly conned into it." 

His dark eyes widened in understanding and a look that was somewhere between relief and satisfaction, flashed across his features. All remaining tension vanished between us as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder and said, "Saw him slink out to the garden." 

I clapped Wufei on the arm and managed to thank him as I rushed off to find Duo.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
The estate gardens were vast. The layout hadn't changed since I was here last, but I knew finding Duo in the maze of carefully tended vegetation wasn't going to be easy. I worked my way from east to west and naturally, he was in the last sector of my search. 

I found him leaning against the rail of a low bridge that arched gently over a sculpted stream. There were small lights submerged in the water and a tangle of gold and red spotted koi swarmed after little crumbs that Duo tossed in sporadically. The lights weren't bright enough to illuminate more than a few inches above the water and I saw him mostly by moonlight. 

"Hey," he said as I approached. 

"You aren't supposed to feed them," I said. I folded my elbows on the rail and stared down into the water with him. 

"Yeah?" He paused with a bit of torn off bread pinched between his fingers. "Is it bad for them or something?" 

A list of all the reasons why overfeeding the fish was bad ran through my head. I ignored it. "Just this once," I said and stole the piece of bread from Duo and tossed it down into the pond. 

"You've changed, Heero," Duo said. 

"Yes I have." I wondered if he thought that was a good thing. 

"Why me?" 

"What do you mean?" 

He dusted his palms together, sending a hail of crumbs down to the fish, then turned to look at me. His brows were drawn together, forming a severe crease between them and the corners of his eyes were tight. 

"Why did you come to me?" 

"Now?" 

"Yes... No..." he turned away and gripped the railing. "You know, I thought I was over you. Then I hear that you've left Relena's and little postcards start coming through the mail." 

He paused and snorted softly, "You have the most absurd handwriting, Heero. You're the only person I've ever seen who writes exactly like those stupid cursive alphabet posters you see tacked above chalkboards." I wanted to say something...anything, but nothing seemed appropriate for the moment. 

Appropriateness be damned. "Duo, I came to you because I'm in love with you." 

I stopped breathing as my confession hung in the air. It seemed as if even the crickets had ceased their chirping once the words had tumbled out. 

"You don't mean that," Duo said with a heavy sigh that turned to mist. "You came to me, cause Relena's getting married and everyone and their brother knows that I'm an idiot and willing to settle for being Heero Yuy's second choice." 

I studied his profile and flashed back momentarily to the night Relena set me free. A sickening lump formed in my stomach and I prayed that Duo wasn't doing the same. 

The weary defeat in his voice hurt me more than the accusation. How much had I hurt him by ignoring his affection in the past? A touch of anger entered the mix of feelings that struggled beneath my skin. He certainly had a right to believe what he did and I was a little peeved, because, much as I hated to admit it, there was some truthfulness to his words. 

"You're right and you're wrong," I said. I grabbed Duo by the shoulders and twisted him around. He met my eyes reluctantly; the positions we stood in left his face mostly in shadow and mine illuminated by moonlight. "Maybe Relena's engagement did influence me more than I care to believe, and I definitely showed up with an over-inflated view of you that I'd built up over the past year, but dammit, Duo, this week has been the best week of my life. I went to sleep every night thinking about how great it was that I'd see you in the morning..." I faltered and immediately felt stupid and awkward. 

Duo remained silent and I couldn't make out his features clearly enough to get any sense of what his reaction was. 

I almost punched him when he kissed me suddenly; his hand clamped down on the side of my neck and I was too startled to open my mouth and return the kiss properly. 

"You say you love me and that this isn't about Relena?" Duo said as he drew away. "Prove it. Figure out what the hell you plan to do with your life, get a job doing something you enjoy and if you still feel like you're missing something and that something is me; then give me a call and ask me on a date." 

I stood there dumbly, one hand at my lips in the center of the low arching footbridge. The garden was a muted canvas of soft blues and shadow and my skin was warm despite the chill of the night. I stood there for a long time, with only two thoughts running circles in my head for company: Duo had kissed me and then he had walked away.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
What did I plan to do with my life? At the moment, all I wanted was to be with Duo. To prove myself worthy of his affection; to coax those radiant smiles from him and be kept up laughing into the late hours of the night. 

But, if proof had to come by way of my dedication to his conditions then I would respect that.   
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  
I rapped my knuckles against the edge of the door to Duo's studio apartment and waited patiently as I heard his heavy footsteps inside. The door flung open and Duo stared at me, he was clad only in a worn pair of jeans and had a faded black tee shirt clenched in one hand. 

"Heero, what are you doing here?" he blurted out. 

"I've fulfilled each of your requirements and I'm here to ask you on a date," I said. I tried not to stare at his bare chest and keep my eyes level with his. However, I did get my first full view of the tattoo on his arm; a little red devil winked at me from atop blocky letters that spelled out "Naughty". 

"What?" 

I repeated myself. Duo gave me a dirty look and slung his shirt over one shoulder before he leaned against the doorframe and effectively blocked my view of his apartment interior. He lifted his chin slightly and said, "It's been three days." 

"Yes it has." 

"You know I expected you to stay away for a year, or hell, a few months at least." 

"I know." 

"Three days," he repeated in disbelief. 

"Is that a yes?" 

He seemed reluctant, and I felt a little pang of guilt for showing up and pressuring him. 

"Oh what the hell," he started laughing softly and welcomed me inside. "Give me five. I don't need to wear anything special do I?" 

"No." 

"Three days," he mumbled as he trotted up to his loft to get ready.   
  


* * *

TBC!  
Note: There are approximately 3 parts left. ^_^ 


	5. Must be love

  
  
Title: A Moment of Perfection   
Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)   
Pairing: 1+2 

Archived at:  
http://www.1x2x1.org - Shinigami & Wing,  
http://stellarsoldiers.homestead.com/Fanfiction.html - Stellar Soldiers   
Warning: [PG-13] Shounen ai. Sap. Heero POV. Post Endless Waltz.   
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Sunrise/Sotsu/Bandai. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me. 

Note: **Shounen ai**. Meaning: **boys** liking **boys**. Don't like, then don't read. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


**A Moment of Perfection**   
by Ponderosa 

I used the remote on my keychain to unlock the doors to my vehicle and glanced over at Duo, "Have you eaten?" 

"I did actually, but you know me, I can eat anytime," he replied. His eyes roamed over the car as we neared the curb and I waited for Duo to say something about it. 

"What'd they do, throw the keys at you?" 

"Something like that," I said. 

"I guess being 'Savior of the World' has its benefits," Duo chuckled, referencing the name I had been dubbed by the media after the wars. "So what's your codename?" 

"Biscuit." 

"What?!" Duo had his door open halfway and was tracking my progress with bulging eyes as I skirted the hood to get to the driver's side. "Preventer Biscuit?" 

"My partner is Jam." 

"Heero, tell me that you're joking," Duo said as he slid into shotgun. 

I pulled open my door and assured him that yes, I was joking. 

I chuckled as he exhaled a noisy sigh of relief. "You know, it's gonna take me a while until I can tell when you're joking or being serious. In any case, I was gonna say, Une is losing it again if she's got Biscuits and Jam running around investigating people. So what is it, really?" 

"I haven't been assigned a codename." 

"So... you could conceivably be Preventer Biscuit?" Duo cracked a wide grin. 

"Not without Jam." 

The grin quickly melted off his face. "You're right," Duo said with utter solemnity. 

We were both laughing as I pulled away from the curb, and I no longer regretted in the least, my choice to show up so quickly. I only hoped Duo felt the same way. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


"I may regret this," he said as we approached the location I had chosen for our date. 

I held the door open for him and he shook his head as he moved past me with a rueful expression. The interior of the pool hall was clean and relatively well lit; the sort of establishment that middle class suits came to throw back a few and play a few friendly games with their friends. In a show of mercy, I told Duo he could break as we secured ourselves a table. 

As Duo was racking up, I managed to flag down a waitress. The girl smacked her gum and kept glancing at Duo as she took my order. He was stretching halfway over the pool table to line up the balls perfectly and his shirt was riding up to expose a good amount of skin. 

I made the girl repeat the order. Twice. For both our sakes. When she returned, I tipped her generously; I was more than a little surprised when she returned promptly and got everything right. 

Since I hadn't eaten anything yet, I started in on the sandwich I'd ordered and let Duo warm up. He wasn't half as bad as I expected from his comment as we entered, but I decided to go easy on him anyway and didn't take the extra time to line my shots up as well as I could. As we took turns prowling around the table, we played a little game of favorites. I think I learned more about Duo in the span of a few hours, than I had during all the time I had lived in the same apartment as him. 

By our fourth game, we'd demolished two baskets of chicken wings. The waitress swung by again with a fresh basket and a new bottle of beer for Duo and mineral water for me. 

Duo rolled his neck and said, "Fruit." 

I sucked barbeque sauce off the tip of my thumb and made a show of studying Duo. What sort of fruit did he like... "Apples," I guessed. 

"Strawberries," he said and sank the last of his stripes. He aimed for the eight ball and paused with his arm drawn back, "I'd have to say for you... hmm... raspberries." 

"Plums," I told him. He grunted and ended up missing his shot. I relinquished the stool and the rest of the wings to him. 

I chalked my cue and leaned on it while I thought up a new topic. I had a hard time concentrating and spent more time fixated on the bob of Duo's throat as he took a long swallow of beer. I finally came up with, "Holiday." 

"Christmas," Duo replied automatically. 

I smirked and shook my head as I dragged my attention away from him and eyeballed the table. "Unity Day." 

"Damn," he muttered. "I knew I shouldn't have said Christmas." 

"I pick Christmas for you," I said and missed my shot. 

"Nope. My turn again," he grinned and stood up, wiping his fingers off on his jeans. I stepped back and looked at the situation on the table smugly. I may have missed my shot, but I effectively blocked off all the easy ways for him to sink the eight ball. "Fourth of July." 

"Fourth of July?" It took me a moment to remember that the significance of the date was to commemorate American Independence day. I found it amusing that the holiday I loved most, celebrated the harmony of all the Earth nations and the colonies, while his celebrated the division of- 

"Fireworks," Duo said and winked; cutting off my thought process. 

Fireworks? "I don't have a favorite firework." 

"You don't?" Duo looked surprised, then returned to half crouching and examining all the possible angles of attack, at table level. "Well, that's beside the point. What I meant was, that's why I like Fourth of the July. For the fireworks." 

"Oh." I didn't quite understand what the big deal was though. I'd seen enough explosions in my lifetime. Somehow the fact that Duo liked a holiday purely on the basis of its inclusion of explosives didn't surprise me. And he said it was always the quiet ones. 

"You don't even like fireworks do you?" he said, having heard the disinterest in my curt response. 

"Not really," I admitted. 

"How about, if I make this shot, you agree to let me take you to see a fireworks show," Duo proposed. 

I shrugged. It wasn't as if he'd make it, and even if he did, hell, the truth was I'd watch paint dry just to be with him. "Deal." 

Eight ball, side pocket. Near impossible shot. Duo sank it without batting an eye. 

"You! How?" 

"I was getting tired of letting you let me beat you," he said. 

"Grifter," I accused. He propped his cue against the table and spread his palms in a silent, 'who me? Nahh...' 

He glanced at the clock over on the far wall, then sucked in a deep breath and said, "Well, it's getting late and I've got to be up early tomorrow to get a truckload of shipping manifests in order before I get to spend the day interviewing people. " 

I nodded. It seemed that Hilde had finally mustered up the guts to bring her own secret out into the open. Duo accepted her decision to quit the yard with all the love and understanding I expected from him, but he admitted he was afraid they'd lose touch. I reassured him as best I could that I didn't think that would happen and he finally agreed with me. 

We paid for the table and Duo walked close beside me as we headed back to where the car was parked. I started the engine and he said, "I'll have some free time this weekend if you want to get together again." 

The weekend seemed impossibly far away, but the thrill of knowing Duo wanted to see me again, burned away any ghosts of frustration. 

The drive back to his place gave us enough time to make tentative plans for our next date, and this time, Duo said that he'd pick where we went and what we did. I had no complaints with that, and if anything, I was doubly excited by the prospect of doing something he wanted to do. I pulled up next to the curb and put the car in park, but left the engine on. I think we both knew that if I got out and walked him up, I'd end up staying the night; and neither of us really wanted things to happen that way. 

Duo unbuckled his seatbelt and, when he didn't get out immediately, the fingers of my left hand tightened on the steering wheel in anticipation. I twisted slightly to look at him and as I did, he levered himself up and leaned towards me. A shivery tingle ran along my skin as our eyes locked and we fumbled with such simple things as trying to gauge which way to tilt our heads. 

We were at an odd angle, the low ceiling height forced us into awkward positions, and we whispered laughter as our noses clashed despite all our best attempts. Somehow we managed and I wasn't disappointed when our mouths finally met in a quivering uncertain brush of lips. Duo's breath carried the sweetness of barbeque sauce and a hint of beer and as much as I wanted to keep looking at him, my eyes closed of their own volition as our tongues met, ever so briefly, before he pulled away and pressed his forehead against mine. 

I could hear my heart beating in my ears and my breath was shallow as I reopened my eyes. 

Duo made a soft sound in his throat, then he turned and placed a soft kiss against my knuckles; my left hand was still clenching the steering wheel, while the other had found it's way up the sleeve of Duo's shirt and was gripping the firm muscles of his upper arm. I released my hold on his bicep, and I heard him say softly, "I believe you, Heero." In a heartbeat, he pressed his lips against my knuckles a second time, then was out of the car and giving me a jaunty wave as he jogged towards the stairway up the side of the building and ran up them, three steps at a time. 

"Believe what?" I shouted, leaning towards the passenger window. 

Duo stopped and turned around slowly. He held my gaze and I dimly heard the engine's purr shift as it continued to idle. Finally, in a burst of motion, he scratched the spot on his arm where his tattoo was and took one step downwards. His face became clearly illuminated by the orange sulfur glow of the streetlight and he smiled as he mouthed, "That you love me."   
  


* * *

TBC! 


	6. All this lifetime is

Title: A Moment of Perfection   
Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)   
Pairing: 1+2+1 

Archived at:  
http://www.1x2x1.org - Shinigami & Wing,  
http://aenai.steelsong.com - Aenai Ai   
Warning: [PG-13] Shounen ai. Sap. Heero POV. Post Endless Waltz.   
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Sunrise/Sotsu/Bandai. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me. 

Note: **Shounen ai**. Meaning: **boys** liking **boys**. Don't like, then don't read. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


**A Moment of Perfection** Part 6   
by Ponderosa 

As I waited on the curb for Duo to pick me up, I thought to myself that seven days had never felt longer. Spending each of those days memorizing protocols and convincing the head of the local Preventers unit - and myself - that I was fit for duty, didn't make the time pass any faster either. I had also managed to stop myself from making up excuses to call Duo every night. I don't know if that made things better or worse. 

"Wear something comfortable you can move in," he told me, the one night we did talk on the vid. 

Mission accomplished. Beneath my sensible dark brown wool coat, I had on standard fare. Dark blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans that were getting a little threadbare in the knees, but were too comfortable for me to give up easily. He had also mentioned great music and a fantastic lightshow, so when he pulled up at a quarter to nine, I got in his car ready to be taken to one of those wild L2 nightclubs that one hears so much about. 

His outfit didn't confirm nor deny my suspicions. It was pretty much the same thing I'd seen him wear every day that I spent staying with him; jeans, this time they were black, and a leather jacket over a dark gray tee shirt with the word "Jawbreaker" looking like it had been spray painted on. The only thing markedly different was a dark red, woolen scarf with frayed ends that looped loosely around his neck. 

Conversation during the ride over consisted of Duo sharing little anecdotes about everyone who had applied for a job at the yard. All of them seemed to have some fault that he just couldn't overlook. I felt he was being over critical, but I didn't want to start the evening off bad by pointing that out. And so, he drove and talked, and I listened and filed away my comments to share with him later. At one point, he told me, out of nowhere, that he liked it when I wore shirts that matched my eyes. I didn't have time to feel the warmth of pleasant embarrassment reach my cheeks, before he segued into a story about how one of the applicants had a glass eye and it had fallen out during his interview. 

I was still laughing about the ending to that tale, when we pulled into a ridiculously expensive public garage in the heart of downtown. I wasn't familiar enough with the section of the city yet to know all the establishments, particularly the odd and eclectic ones that Duo was notorious for discovering. So I still had no idea where we were headed as we walked down the street. 

Duo sidled ever closer to me and finally put an arm loosely around my shoulders. The contact made me feel even more energized. As we neared the corner, he pulled me in a quasi-hug and clamped one hand over my eyes. I made a halfhearted squirm coupled with a hopping step to regain my balance. 

He clucked his tongue as I tried to duck my head down. "No peeking. I want this to be a surprise," he said. Duo then proceeded to lead me from behind in a blind walk that was probably more aptly described as a stumbling waddle. 

"Given that I don't know where we're going, isn't it already a surprise?" I pointed out. I felt a rush of air and heard the changes in sound that told me we'd moved past the sheltering side of the building. 

"Well, it doesn't matter," said Duo, removing his hand. "You can look now." 

He left his arm draped over my shoulder and he pointed as if I hadn't already seen the park myself. It was beautiful. 

"Weren't expecting this were you," Duo said. The pedestrian light across the street blinked 'walk' and he dragged me across the way. He had a big grin on his face, the sort you get when you've given someone a present they've always wanted. 

"No," I replied, my face the awed counterpart to that grin. It was a good thing Duo had me by the hand and was pulling me along; otherwise I probably would've just stood and stared at all the lights. 

And there were millions of them; twinkling like tiny stars in great looping swirls amidst bare branches. They crisscrossed in relaxed strings that ran from tree to tree and ended curled around thick trunks. 

"First day of the Christmas Season," said Duo. "Snow will be turned on around the beginning of next week." 

"Aa," I breathed. 

We passed under the first of the trees and that was when I first heard the music. It was some kind of neo-swing that had me walking to the beat instantly. Overhead, each little light combined its power with its neighbors to send the paths, that spider webbed from the central plaza, awash with a gentle glow. Larger globular lights were suspended around a large fenced off oval. A dozen steps later, I could finally make out the vocals of the music, and a few steps beyond that, the sharp squealing laughter of children, as they raced each other on the smooth surface of the ice. 

"Don't worry, you'll pick it up in no time," Duo assured me when I told him I'd never gone ice-skating before. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


It didn't take long for me to learn, I hadn't expected it to, but the ice was much bumpier than it looked and I did take a few nasty spills in my first couple minutes. Falling wasn't really all that bad, since each time I ended up on my rear, I dragged Duo down with me. Having him help get me standing again with little lingering touches and laughter and wobbling knees was all part of the experience. 

"Having fun?" he asked, spinning around and skating backwards in front of me. 

What a showoff, I thought and couldn't help but smile as I answered, "Yes." I had gotten a good handle on what I was doing now; a little longer and I was certain I could mimic the best of his tricks. 

"I'm glad," he said. His skates hissed as he whipped around again and grabbed my hand so we could skate like most of the other couples there, hand in hand, side by side. 

A couple laps went by in joyous silence, then Duo asked me if I'd been assigned a codename yet. 

"My superior says I'm allowed to choose my own," I answered. 

"Anything in mind?" Duo asked curiously. 

"Not really." 

"Hmm, how about Apollo?" 

"Apollo?" 

"Sure why not. Patron god of music and poetry and good looking young men," Duo grinned and gave my hand a squeeze. 

I shrugged. The name was as good as any. Scratch that. It was better; Duo had suggested it. "I'll submit the request on Monday." 

A proud little smile replaced his grin and I untangled my fingers from his. He gave me a questioning look; I responded by snatching the scarf from his neck and testing my new proficiency on the ice, by skating as fast as I could. 

I could hear Duo laughing as he pursued me as I wove through the leisurely circling crowd of people. It was fun while it lasted; a big burly man in a fur lined jacket appeared and brought about an end to our little chase. 

"Young men your age should act with a bit more maturity," Duo said in a gruff voice that was a fair imitation of the bruiser that had ushered us off the ice. 

I chuckled as I tied my shoes back on, then I leaned back against the chill wooden slats of the bench and relaxed as Duo left to return our rented skates. He took a detour afterwards, and went over to the small concession stand that was selling hot drinks. I watched him as he leaned against the counter and engaged the older woman in the booth with easy conversation. He pointed at me and the woman smiled and patted his hand as her helper set down a pair of steaming paper cups. 

I stood up as he headed back and he passed one of the cups over to me. We sat together and chatted about the new band that had taken the stage at the far end of the rink. While Duo and I filled in the sketchy details of music likes and dislikes we'd discovered the week prior, I noticed the warmth of the cup had begun to send little needles stinging through my fingers. Soon, I had I curled both hands around the thin paper cup; I hadn't noticed just how cold I had been until the heat seeped into me. 

It was a lot like how I felt about Duo. 

I hadn't noticed how truly lonely I had been until I was around him again. 

He's like the human equivalent of hot chocolate, I thought as I glanced over at him and raised the cup to my lips. He caught sight of my glance and raised an eyebrow curiously. I just shook my head and hid my smile in my cup. 

Duo shrugged, but he shifted a little closer to me and pressed his knee against mine. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


I didn't want to be driven back to the spartan apartment I had rented, but just like the last time our evening together had come to an end, we were soon making plans to see each other again. And just like last time, that promise of seeing Duo again, made the thought of the days to come bearable. 

Besides, I still had his stolen scarf, so there was a little reminder of him coiled up on the top of my television set. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


At some point our dates stopped feeling like dates and we were inviting ourselves over to one another's place at random times. By the time spring was rolling around, I had a weekly ritual of coming by his studio on Saturdays to amaze him with my cooking skill and he visited my apartment every Wednesday to return the favor. I think we both spent the evenings we weren't together, experimenting with new recipes in the hopes of outdoing each other. 

"Here's the proof," Duo said loudly as he walked through my door carrying an armful of grocery bags. "I do my own shopping!" 

"I don't know, Hilde could've flown in from L3 and bought you those," I smiled and glanced up from the paperwork scattered across my coffee table. "What's on the menu, tonight?" 

Duo walked past me and deposited the bags onto the counter next to my fridge. He waggled his finger and made a stern face, "Ah-ah-ah. It's a surprise." 

"It's always a surprise with you," I snorted and turned back to my work. "I know... no peeking." 

I kept my ears sharp and hoped I'd hear the telltale rattle of boxed noodles. I discovered that Duo made a delicious vegetarian lasagna. I didn't hear much more than a few soft crinkles before my attention was pulled back into my work, and I forgot all about dinner, until the savory smell of it was wafting from the kitchen. 

"Voila," Duo settled down on the floor next to me holding large bowls of stir fry in each hand. "I went for simple tonight," he said almost apologetically. 

I gathered up my paperwork and stacked it neatly on the floor beneath my coffee table. It had a glass surface with wrought iron legs, a smaller rounder companion to the one at Duo's place. 

"I don't mind simple," I said, plucking one of the curled prawns out from the mix of veggies that was piled atop a mound of white rice. "I do prefer not to have to eat with my fingers, though." 

"Oops!" Duo chuckled and got up to fetch some silverware. 

"I got an postcard in the mail today," I said. 

"Relena?" he called over his shoulder. 

I nodded, then realized his back was to me and said yes aloud. 

"Did it say 'wish you were here?'" he teased as he returned. 

I chuckled and shook my head "They decided to stretch out the honeymoon for an extra week so they could go grav-skiing at that new tourist colony." 

"Sounds like fun," Duo said as he mixed his food together. 

I hadn't realized I was so hungry until I took my first real mouthful of hot food and after that, the amount in my bowl diminished rapidly. 

"We could take a trip there ourselves, this summer," I suggested before I scraped the last bit of rice into my mouth. 

"Nah," Duo pushed his plate away and leaned back with his hand on his stomach. He'd inhaled his food as quickly as I had and was making little sounds of contentment. "I had enough snow this winter to last me until next year." 

He looked down at his watch and muttered. "Damn, took me longer to get away from the yard than I had planned for. I'm going to miss a good half hour of the Flares' game." 

I pounced on the opening and mentioned as casually as I could manage with my heart thundering in my chest, "You could always just stay the night." 

We'd been intimate for some time now, but never to the 'wake up beside one another' point and I knew Duo was thinking about that as he favored me with a measuring look through the shaggy mass of his bangs. Finally he nodded and grabbed the remote off the couch. "Yeah, I could do that."   
  


* * *

TBC! 

Endnotes: 

There is an optional lemon which I've posted separately, so anyone who would rather read this fic at its original PG-13 rating may do so. The lemon follows right after this chapter and is listed in my profile as "A Moment of Perfection: Sexy Love (Lemon)" 


	7. For us to share.

Title: A Moment of Perfection   
Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)   
Pairing: 1+2+1 

Archived at:  
http://www.1x2x1.org - Shinigami & Wing,  
http://aenai.steelsong.com - Aenai Ai   
Warning: [PG-13] Shounen ai. Sap. Heero POV. Post Endless Waltz.   
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Sunrise/Sotsu/Bandai. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me. 

Note: **Shounen ai**. Meaning: **boys** liking **boys**. Don't like, then don't read. *sniffle* It's finally over. I had a blast writing this, hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate that you took the time to let me know you liked my ficcie ^__^ *passes out pocky* 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


**A Moment of Perfection** Part 7/7   
By Ponderosa 

Duo and I moved in together at the beginning of summer. Or more precisely, I moved in with him. We had discussed finding a new place together, but he wanted to stay close to the yard and I didn't much care about whether or not we could use more closet space. Given the size of the last place we had shared, his studio was a mansion in comparison. 

I worried about only one thing when living arrangements had been decided and I was preparing for the move: I didn't know what to do with the little coffee table Duo had made me. I was rather possessive of the gifts, intentional or otherwise, that he'd given me over the months. I solved the problem by taking the table down to the Preventer's building, and by eliciting the help of the receptionist at the front desk, set it up in the waiting area. I don't think anyone else even noticed that it was a different glass-topped table wedged between the blue cushioned chairs, but every time I went home, the receptionist and I shared a little secretive smile. I think sneaking that table in and switching it was the most exciting thing she'd done in years. 

Duo's scarf, which I had never returned, was soon tied around the post on what would be my side of the bed and I kept the first gift he gave me - a small tin of potted meat product - on the bedside table. He laughed when he saw that I was keeping the little blue can near the bed and a day later, he'd put my return gift of a small braided doll - which was the most hideous country craft collectible imaginable - on the table on his side. 

It really wasn't very hard getting used to living with someone again. There were of course little things that came up between us; like Duo using my toothbrush and leaving his hair to clog the shower drain, and my tendency to drink from the carton and refusal to do anything but let the machine catch incoming calls. There was also my habit of walking around naked to air dry after a shower. That particular habit might have been great for spontaneity in our love life, but I had to change my routine after the third prospective art buyer got an eyeful through the vid. 

The most awkward thing I had to adjust to, was sleeping with Duo every night. I'd never shared a bed with someone who slept so closely to me before. Even with his queen-sized mattress, he rarely sprawled out unless I had already gotten up. It took me a little while to learn to ignore the weight of an arm or leg thrown over me and the constant warmth of his body pressed against mine. 

However, all in all, we cohabitated well. And I was the happiest I'd ever been in my life. It wasn't a constant high that left me giddy - although there were definitely moments of that - but underlying my days was a satisfying feeling of contentment and peace. 

I worried that there would be an interruption in that harmony when, on the first of July, I had to break the news to Duo that I had been called in for a special assignment on Earth. It was going to spoil our long-planned evening of watching the local fireworks display and he hid his disappointment well. Although he had rejected all my previous attempts to get him to do some traveling, I suggested that he accompany me since I would be consulting in the city where his sculpture stood. The lure of being able to visit his pride and joy without the throngs of people that had been at its unveiling was too strong and after a bit of persuasion, he agreed. 

We touched down on Earth the next evening, and I was rushed from the spaceport to a planning session immediately. A nearly endless succession of meetings kept me busy for a full forty-eight hours, but I managed to squeeze in a few minutes here and there to talk to Duo over the vid. I had another chance to call him when things were calming down and he filled me in with a more detailed account of what he'd been up to. It was pretty much what I expected; during the afternoon, Duo stayed at the park and people watched, and after the sun went down, he waited until it was fully dark to stargaze a bit before returning to our hotel room. Unfortunately, 'our' hotel room wasn't so much 'ours' as 'his'. I hadn't been able to sleep longer than a few catnaps in an empty office since we stepped off the shuttle. 

But, exhausted or not, when the main crisis had passed, instead of heading to the hotel to sleep, I downed a cup of coffee and had someone drive me to the park. I only hoped I'd arrive before Duo left for the night. 

  
  
  
-=*=-  
  
  


As soon as I got out of the car with my knapsack in hand, I spotted Duo's braid dangling off the highest point on the metallic structure. I thanked the Preventer who'd given me a ride and he nodded and gave me a smile as he bid me a good night. I wished him well, then adjusted the pack on my shoulder and started up the hill. As I drew closer to the man I loved, I found that I felt rejuvenated, and the fatigue of the past two days practically melted away. 

"Finished already?" Duo called. He pulled an arm free from beneath his head and raised it into the air, beckoning for me to join him. 

"I have one more meeting tomorrow," I said. "Come down. I brought something for you." 

"It isn't food by any chance, is it?" Duo said as he climbed down nimbly. He jumped off at the last few feet and landed lightly in the grass. "I haven't eaten since lunch." 

"No," I said. "Something better." 

He gave me a peck on the cheek, and then eyed my knapsack curiously. When I pulled out a bottle rocket, he laughed and crushed me a fierce hug. 

"How many of those do you have in there?" he said, digging a hand in excitedly. 

"About fifteen," I answered. "I was try-" 

"Let's do em all at once," he interrupted with a big grin. 

How could I possibly argue with that smile?   
  
  
We set the fireworks up in a loose circle and bunched the fuses together in groups of threes. Duo lit half and I lit half, then we stepped back to watch the show. I hopped up on a smooth curve in the metal that made for a nice ledge and Duo positioned himself between my knees. 

"You want to know that moment?" Duo asked hesitantly, as I draped my arms loosely over his shoulders. "That big fat moment when it hit me like a freighter and I knew, without a doubt, that everything was more than just infatuation and I really was in love with you?" He nestled against me as we watched the fuses turn to ash. 

"Sure," I said quietly. The chill of the metal seeped through my clothes, but Duo's back against me was enough to keep me comfortable. 

"It was that time when you came back from the spaceport and caught me in the hallway with... God, what was his name..." Duo trailed off, then shook his head. "Well, it doesn't matter." 

He was interrupted when the first cluster of bottle rockets suddenly shot into the air. We tilted our heads back to watch as it flew upwards close to thirty meters before exploding into a shower of colour. The next batches followed quickly, arcing up into Earth's atmosphere and blossoming into sparkling shapes that left afterimages in my vision as they faded away slowly. 

Long after the haze of smoke had dissipated, we kept our eyes on the sky. Duo didn't say that the fireworks were beautiful or that he was happy I'd brought them. He didn't have to. I could tell that he'd loved it. 

It took a long time for him to find his voice again. When he did, it was soft and gentle, as if he didn't want to disturb the hush that had crept in, or that if he spoke too loudly, everything would shatter and reveal this all to be a dream. 

"That guy... I was so in to him, but as soon as we got back to my room and started going at it again, I realized that I'd rather be out there, kicking back with you, no matter how pissed off you were that you missed your flight," Duo chuckled and I could feel his cheeks pulled tight in a smile as he stopped looking at the stars to place a kiss on my arm. 

"Imagine that," he said wryly, craning his neck around to look at me out of the corner of his eye, "I would rather get ignored, than get laid." 

I laughed and tightened my arms. I could feel the steady beat of his heart through the thick folds of his sweatshirt. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty so I'll make up for all that time ignoring you?" 

"I think I am," he replied. He turned around in my arms and looked up at me. 

I stared at him in wonder. "I love you," I said. 

Duo smiled in response and curled his hands under my knees. Before I knew what he was doing, he'd yanked me off the gently rounded edge of his sculpture's metallic thumb. I threw my arms around his neck and he mostly caught me, but we still fell into a tangled heap in the grass. One thing led to another, and we ended up wrestling with one another. He and I laughed and rolled around like a couple of kids in a schoolyard for a good half hour. 

It was wonderful. 

When we were physically drained and panting short puffs of white into the air, we collapsed next to one another and just lay there, looking up at the stars once more. We smelled like crushed grass, dirt, and sulfur from the ashy remnants of the fuses that were now embedded into our clothes. The face of the moon was shedding its gentle light and Duo made a comment about how beautiful it was, when it was so far away. I agreed. 

If it weren't for the numbing cold of the ground, I could've imagined staying out there all night; but eventually, even Duo was feeling the cold through his sweatshirt, and hunger was gnawing at both our bellies. As we geared ourselves up to expend the energy required to stand, I caught sight of a shooting star and pointed it out to Duo. 

I stood up and reminded him that he was the one who had taught me about wishing on falling stars. As I helped him to his feet, I asked if he had made a wish. 

"I love you, Heero," was all he said. 

Once I had slung my empty knapsack over my shoulder, and we were walking down the hill together, Duo asked me the same question. I shook my head, burying my hands a little deeper into the pockets of my jacket to warm them. I smiled when I told him I hadn't needed to. He smiled back and nodded before he put his arm around me. He understood what I meant.   
  
  
  
I got my happily ever after.   
  


* * *

Owari 


End file.
